Never owned a semi auto except my Berretta for geese but I found the new A5 intriguing. Have seen several and I gotta say I don't see how Browning can be very proud of this one. The furniture on all of them was terrible. Slab cut blanks, smudge stained and spray lacquered. This is something i would expect on a $300 Mossberg not an $1800 Browning. My 1973 $269 20 gauge BSS has far better furniture than what I have seen. This should be an embarrassment for Browning. I don't expect fancy wood on a field grade gun...just a little QC.

The wood on the ones I have seen has been comparable to the stocks on Remington V3s, Franchi Affinities and Bennelli Montefeltros think thatís just what entry level wood looks like now for the most part.

I've handled only 3 of them. One at Cabelas, my brothers and the one I own. The stain was uniform on all three. The finish was the high gloss prevalent on guns in the 60s and 70s. Mine even has some figuring.

If you are looking for very high grade rubbed oil finishes, I suspect you'll be disappointed. If you'll take serviceable I doubt you'll have a problem with them.

Doesn't mean some aren't poorly finished. It just means I haven't seen one in that condition.

I have been cautious about sharing my opinion about the "New" Sweet Sixteen. I have read about various material/quality/function issues re the gun. I have handled and examined a few. All I can say is "I LOVE Old School firearms, particularly the Belgian Auto 5's"
I own or have owned Sweet Sixteens, Twenty's, Twenty Magnum, and Light Twelves. I still own a Japanese Auto 5. I would not exchange any of them for the new A5. But, honestly, I regard all vintage guns in higher regard than 9/10 firearms today.
The most I ever paid for any Sweet Sixteen or Auto 5 Belgium manufacture was $1050 for an Auto 5 Twenty in 100% condition. All of my guns were made at a time when human skills were still necessary and evident to produce the gun.

I own a new Sweet 16 and an old vintage sweet. Both are beautiful and shoot great. The key difference is the lighter weight of the new model, 1 lb lighter. That's a lot in my book. I like the rounded grip of the vintage better as well as the oil stock finish. The action on the new is 2 inches longer than the vintage. I'm sure that's to accommodate many different shell lengths of other models. The shorter action on the vintage looks better IMO. I wish they had scaled down the action to the old length. As a field gun the new sweet is a delight to carry. I doubt that any competitors have smaller actions?

Not a 16 but I handled my buddies new A5 the other day in the blind. I did not care for the pistol grip one bit on it. It seemed "too perpendicular" to the barrel if that makes sense. It did not possess enough rearward cant and seemed uncomfortable in my hand. My preference though, others may find it perfect.

I would prefer the POW like grip like my vintage sweet. I've carried my SXS Fox XE 16 and the new Sweet A5 in the field. The SXS is much easier to handle even though the weight is close. A5 is just chunkier.

I handled a light 12 and a new A5 today.....
And to be fair and disregarding my personal preferences,
They are different.
Literally different from stem to stern but itís still a Browning A5.
Just like todayís Ford Mustang is different from a 1960ís mustang but in the end itís still a Ford Mustang.

Do you follow?

To compare one to the other is not apples to apples.
Although they are slyly marketing it as such, itís not.
I think a better comparison for the new A5 would be say to a Benelli but not to a JMB Auto 5 because there is nothing that compares to the original design.
By the way, who designed the new A5?
Anyone?
Bueller? Bueller?

_________________Never get out of the boat unless you're willing to go all the way